Australia: Travel Advice

Entry into Australia:
A valid passport or similar acceptable travel document is required of all people wishing to travel to and enter Australia. Everyone, except holders of Australian and New Zealand passports, requires a visa to enter Australia. New Zealand passport holders apply for a visa upon arrival in Australia. All other passport holders must hold a visa before travelling to Australia.

Australian Taxes:
Australia has a Goods and Services Tax (GST) of 10 per cent. Prices in Australia are shown as inclusive of GST. International and domestic flights purchased overseas, by non-residents, are GST free. Continuous domestic legs of international journeys are also GST free.

Australia Currency Information:
Australian currency ($A) is decimal with the dollar as the basic unit (100 cents equals one dollar). Notes come in $100, $50, $20, $10, and $5 denominations. Coins come in $2, $1, 50c, 20c, 10c and 5c denominations. Prices are rounded to the nearest 5c.

Credit cards
The most commonly accepted credit cards are American Express, Bankcard, Diners Club, MasterCard, Visa and JCB.
Banks and various locations have ATMs (Automated Teller Machines). Credit cards may need to be enabled for international access so contact your credit card provider.

Currency exchange
Exchange facilities are available at international airports. Changing foreign currency or traveller’s cheques can be done at most banks.

Health & Safety:

You will encounter few health hazards when travelling in Australia, and hygiene standards are high. Below is a brief outline of some of the issues you need to take into consideration.

Insurance
Travel insurance, with comprehensive health cover, is strongly recommended. Comprehensive insurance should be taken out before departure.

Medicare
Medicare is Australia’s public health care system. Eligibility is generally restricted to permanent residents of Australia.
Australia has Reciprocal Health Care Agreements with Finland, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

Sun protection
Enjoy outdoor activities in Australia’s beautiful weather, but minimise your exposure to the sun. Wear a broad-brimmed hat, cover up and apply water-resistant sunscreen frequently.

Surf and water safety
Australia is fringed with superb beaches just waiting to be enjoyed. As with all beaches, it is advisable to follow basic precautions. Popular beaches are usually patrolled by volunteer lifesavers from October to April. Always swim or surf at patrolled beaches between the red and yellow flags which mark the safest area for swimming. Take your time entering the water, and don’t swim alone. Also, don’t forget to protect yourself from the sun - take your hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and cover up, particularly in the middle of the day.
From late October to early May, venomous box jellyfish, also called stingers or sea wasps, occur in the coastal waters of northern Australia and around many of the Queensland islands. They are rarely found on the Outer Barrier Reef.

In the Northern Territory, the stingers are present at all beaches, and in Western Australia they are found along the Kimberley coastline. Beaches usually have warning signs during this time, and visitors are advised to swim where protective enclosures are provided.

Northern Australia is also home to two types of crocodiles. Freshwater crocodiles occur only in inland waters. Estuarine or saltwater crocodiles are seen mostly in the tidal reaches of rivers, but also occur in freshwater lagoons and swamps and along some beaches. They can be found in waterways hundreds of kilometres from the sea.

Crocodiles are potentially dangerous. Be ‘croc-wise’ in croc-country, by observing all warning signs and do not take unnecessary risks in crocodile areas. Do not swim where crocodiles live, camp at least 50m from the waters edge and never clean fish or discard food scraps near the waters edge.

What to pack:

Australia is a vast country that has a range of temperate climates. In the Australian winter you can ski in the southern states one day and be diving in the balmy waters of the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland the next. Such temperate conditions make al fresco dining or days on the beach or the water, and a huge variety of sports a way of life here. Keep clothing light, layered and comfortable to cater for whatever you want to do. Protect yourself against the sun - don’t forget to pack sunhat, sunglasses and suntan lotion.

Seasons
The seasons in Australia are the reverse of the northern hemisphere. The summer months (December to February) are warm to hot. Bring lightweight clothes, but keep a jacket or sweater handy as nights may be cool. For the winter months (June to August), warmer clothes plus sweaters, jumpers, a jacket or light coat are advisable. In the tropical areas, lightweight clothing (natural fibres) is suitable all year round.

Special occasions
For special occasions like business meetings, theatres and formal dining, men may need a jacket and tie or suit and women a more formal dress.

Australia’s National Holidays:

1 January New Year's Day
27 January Australia Day
18 April Good Friday
19 April Easter Saturday
20 April Easter Sunday
21 April Easter Monday
25 April ANZAC Day
9 June Queen's Birthday
25 December Christmas Day
26 December Boxing Day

Australia Communications:

Australia offers modern and reliable telecommunication services. Telephone, post, email and Internet services are all readily available to visitors. The details below will assist with your communications home.

Telephones
Australia has a modern and competitive telephone system. You can make local calls, long-distance calls within Australia (STD), and International Direct Dialling (IDD) calls.Local calls from public payphones are untimed and charged at $A0.40. Long distance and international calls are usually timed. Public payphones accept Australian coins and some accept credit cards and pre-paid phone cards.

Mobile phones
Mobile phones are available for rent, or bring your mobile phone with you. Australia’s mobile network operates on the 900 and 1800 bands for GSM and 800 for CDMA. Contact your telecommunications carrier for activating international roaming while you are visiting Australia.

Email and Internet
Internet and email access is readily available at countless Internet cafes, hotels, hostels and libraries. Australia uses RJ-45 telephone plugs and Telstra Exicom-610 six-pin plugs. If your connection is not correct go to a local electronic shop. Also check that your PC-card modem is suitable in Australia. An easy way to access Internet and email is via one of the many free web-based email services such as Hotmail or Yahoo.

Postal services
Post offices are usually open 9.00am – 5.00pm Monday to Friday with some city post offices open on Saturday morning. Stamps are usually available from hotels and motels, and selected retail outlets. Travellers can arrange to collect mail at post offices throughout Australia. Mail is held for 30 days free of charge and should be marked ‘Poste Restante’. Your name should be clearly printed on the envelope. A passport is required when collecting mail. Mail can be redirected for a small charge.

Time zones
There are three time zones in Australia, running east to west. Eastern Standard Time (EST) operates in New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, Tasmania and Queensland. Central Standard Time (CST) in South Australia and Northern Territory. Western Standard Time (WST) in Western Australia. CST is half an hour behind EST, while WST is two hours behind EST.

Daylight saving
Some Australian states and territories have daylight saving during the summer months. In New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and South Australia daylight saving runs from the end of October through to the end of March. In Tasmania, daylight saving runs from the beginning of October through to the end of March. Northern Territory, Western Australia and Queensland do not have daylight saving.

Electricity
The electrical current in Australia is 220-240 volts, AC 50Hz. The Australian three pin power outlet is different from some other countries so you may need an adaptor. If your appliances are 110V, you may need a voltage converter. Universal outlets for 240V or 110V shavers are usually found in leading hotels.